U.S.-flag ships still on Paris MOU Gray List

JUNE 11, 2012 — Although the Islamic Republic of Iran is now on the Paris MOU "White List" of flags, promotion has eluded the United States, which remains on the "Gray List" (albeit towards the top).

Port states that are signatories to the Paris MOU use the lists in targeting ships for port state control inspections.

The Paris MoU Committee approved the 2011 inspection results and adopted the new performance lists for flag states and recognized organizations (which are, for the most part, classification societies) last month. The lists will be used from July 1, 2012.

The Paris MOU secretariat says White, Gray and Black (WGB) List " presents "the full spectrum, from quality flags to flags with a poor performance that are considered high or very high risk." It is based on the total number of inspections and detentions over a three-year rolling period for flags with at least 30 inspections in the period.

The "White List" represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record. Compared with last year, the number of flags on the "White List" has increased by one flag to a total number of 43 flags. New on the "White List" are the Faroe Islands (DK), Vanuatu, Latvia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which were still on the "Gray List" last year.

Germany has been placed highest on the list in terms of performance. The next in line of the best performing flags in 2011 are Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Flags with an average performance are shown on the Gray Lis". Their appearance on this list may act as an incentive to improve and move to the "White List." At the same time flags at the lower end of the Gray List should be careful not to neglect control over their ships and risk ending up on the Black List next year.

The United States is now second ranked on the Gray List coming in just behind Khazakstan and above Saudi Arabia. U.S.-flag ships were subject to174 Paris MOU inspections, resulting in 7 detentions, between 2009 and 2011.

On this year's Gray List a total number of 20 flags is recorded. Last year the "Gray List" recorded 24 flags. New on the "Gray List" is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which was last year still on the Black List. Kazakhstan and India dropped from the White List to the Gray List.

The poorest performing flags are Libya, Bolivia and Togo. New on the Black List are the flags of Honduras and Dominica (medium risk).

A flag's ranking is taken into account when targeting ships for inspection and ships flying flags listed on the Black and Gray list are liable for banning from the Paris MOU region after multiple detentions.

The Paris MoU also agreed on the performance listing of Recognized Organizations (ROs). ROs have been delegated with statutory responsibilities by flag states. This list uses the same method of calculation as the flag state table but counts only those detentions, which the Paris MoU considers to be directly related to a statutory survey carried out by the recognized organization and a minimum number of 60 inspections per RO are needed before the performance is taken into account for the list. In 2011 28 ROs are recorded on the performance list.